as did others along the way. By doing, the principal demonstrated what
needed to be done.
Before the next testing, Ms. Rivera made sure procedures were im-
proved. Each chairperson was asked to devote part of the department
conference before the testing week to reviewing correct procedures. On
the last day of regular instruction, the last teacher in each room was asked
to arrange the room for testing. On the day of each testing, department
chairs were to check the rooms where their tests were being given to be
sure the rooms were in proper order. Test room arrangement was added to
the principal’s new teacher workshop on proper testing procedures.
Recently, a graduate student in the administrative internship seminar
at Pace University brought in a case statement in which she described a
recent problem in her school: A student had been observed using a cell
phone during a Regents Examination. She also brought in a copy of new
Regents testing procedures, which require that students turn off all cell
phones during examinations and warned that cell phone use during a
test could invalidate a student’s exam. It is appropriate that the revised
instructions are mindful of the latest technology. As a school leader, re-
member that new technology always leads to more problems, as with text
messaging, the modern version of the surreptitiously passed crib note.
Despite the mounds of paperwork and meetings expected of them, princi-
pals must be visible to staff and students. This visibility provides a daily
opportunity to be a role model. Part of a good visibility program is to
spend at least one period a day on a walkabout around the school. This
will involve starting on the top floor and working your way down around
the school; however, you should also have a list of stops you wish to
make. These should be the offices of different staff members you want to
touch base with, either because you have not spoken to them in a while
or because you want to bounce an idea off one of your sounding boards.
Sometimes it will involve other duties as well.
Let’s return to Mr. Thelen, principal of an inner-city school. The as-
sistant principal of pupil personnel services (i.e., guidance) had begun a
Keep Your School Clean campaign. She was appalled by the way some
students just threw refuse in the halls and on the stairwells even though
there were plenty of trash receptacles around the school. She enlisted stu-
dents in art classes to make a series of Keep Your School Clean–themed
8 Chapter 1